The Battle of the Rose
by EchidnaGirl
Summary: "...Can we officially title the match 'The Battle of the Rose?" "What. the. heck. Jet." Happy Valentine's Day, Amy! -slight Shadamy, Sonamy, and some Knuxrouge, as well as the use of love potion-


Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! :D Hahaha, I can't believe I actually wrote a oneshot for the day.... And it's not even Knuckles-central!

Hahahaha, I got the idea for this story while sitting, bored, in Study Hall, staring at the wall, and I was very shocked to find that the idea was actually centered around.... (Wait for it....) AMY! D: Hahahahaha, kidding, kidding -- well, no I'm not. It is about Amy. Haha, but, anyhow, this is the story of Amy's Valentine's Day, involving the use of some strange, unknown love potion (apparently), a mysterious hedgehog, a not-so mysterious hedgehog, and a little bit of Knuckles and Rouge.

I do not own ANY of the characters in this story! That is my disclaimer. They do not belong to me.

**The Battle of the Rose**

She woke up, stretching, looking over to the clock on her bedside table. The first thought

of the day popped into her head, and she smiled. _This is going to be the best Valentine's Day EVER!_

* * *

_Worst. Valentine's Day. __**EVER**__. _She finally took a break from running, stopping to catch her breath for a second, then she turned around, pulling out her massive Piko-Piko Hammer. And she faced the bane of her existence -- well, the one that had been pursuing her for the past hour, anyway.

A green hawk was doubled over in a rather comical position, breathing heavily, unable to speak -- possibly for the first time in his life. His feathers were all ruffled, but his eyes were locked on the pink hedgehog with a gaze that seemed terribly uncharacteristic on his face: adoration. "Thank you for slowing down, my love." He was grinning, and there was a slightly disturbing tinge of insanity to his face. Obsessive adoration would be the better phrase to describe it.

Amy's eye twitched at the hawk's last two words. _"My love"?! _She clenched her jaw, growling through her teeth, "Jet, for the hundredth time today-"

"One hundred-thirteenth," he corrected her brightly.

Her gaze fell. "You counted?"

He nodded happily. "And stored the number in my heart forevermore, just to remind me of you."

Her eye was twitching to the point that half her vision blacked out. "Jet, stop following me! Leave me ALONE!!!"

"One hundred-fourteen."

"Gah!" Amy dropped her hammer in exasperation, her hands moving to clutch at her headspikes. As soon as the hammer touched the ground, Jet lunged forward to retrieve it, but before he could reach it, the hammer suddenly lifted itself up off the ground.

Hedgehog and hawk both stared at the hammer rising magically before them in awe. And, as if by some invisible force, the hammer moved towards her, as if handing itself to her. _Wait.... Invisible force...._ "Oh, no, please no....Dear God, I beg of you, please don't let this happen to me..."

So, naturally, as she put her hand on the hammer, another hand suddenly materialized out of the air, becoming visible as it rested itself on top of her gloved fingers. She swallowed a breath, and agonizingly slowly, her eyes drifted up...

Espio's voice was calm and deep, but an uncharacteristic warmth filled his words. "I think you dropped this."

The intensity of the chameleon's stare was almost enough to make her actually want to thank him... But then she remembered why, at the moment, she was irritated beyond words with the chameleon and the hawk:

_"Sonniku!" Amy waved frantically, trying to get the hedgehog's attention. The one she was yelling to was standing amidst a crowd of people across the street. At her voice, Jet immediately rushed to her side._

_ The hawk's voice was as loud and obnoxious as ever. "Sonic! Sonic! HEY! SONIC!!"_

_ Amy put her hands to her head, exasperated and embarrassed. The hedgehog across the street seemed to have heard Jet's yelling, and his head turned in Amy's direction. Just as Amy noticed the hedgehog's gaze, a cool, strong arm slipped around her shoulders. She froze. Her eyes carefully shifted to the side, where Espio was standing, glaring across the street. Amy recoiled, pulling away from the chameleon, but when she looked again, the hedgehog that had been there moments before had disappeared._

Amy growled, jerking her hammer away from Espio, while Jet groaned irritably in the background, "I thought we lost _**you**_ back in the city!"

Espio didn't spare the hawk even a glare, replying, "I would never admit defeat in a battle for the Rose."

Amy flinched. _Battle.... for.... the... Rose?_ Her eye **again** began to twitch.

"Well, it's too bad you've already lost, Chameleon! Amy's mine! I **love** her!"

The chameleon was instantly wielding a shuriken, and he was about two seconds from sending it into Jet's chest when Amy stepped in, confiscating the small, star-shaped blade. Immediately, both bird and reptile turned their attention to her.

She stared at the blade for a moment, thoughts racing. _I have got to get rid of these two..._ Then, by some weird twist of fate, -- or perhaps just sweet coincidence -- a glint of light caught on the blade's silver surface. She turned her head to the side, eyes scouring the sky, and what she saw actually made her smile. _Perfect._

Above her, Angel Island continued to float, blissfully unaware of her thoughts.

Amy's bright green eyes returned to the shuriken, glittering from the light, and the smile stayed on her face. Her face was a mask of casual innocence, and her voice was thick with charm. "Shouldn't I be the one to choose who to be with?"

Espio's reptilian eyes scanned her, almost as if analyzing her newfound brightness, and he quietly nodded. Jet, however, raised his hand in a rather kindergarten-like fashion.

Amy sweatdropped as Jet began waving his hand around in an urgent manner. "Um, yes, Jet?"

The hawk dropped his hand, crossing his arms. "Sonic is disqualified in this, right?"

"Sure, Jet, Sonic's disqualified."

"Okay!" He seemed satisfied.

Amy had to force a smile after that, but she did manage to fake one before continuing, "Well, as I was saying... To be completely fair... In my hand is a ninja star." Both guys nodded, though Espio's nod was a slight inclination of the head, while Jet's head was moving up and down so quickly that it was possible that he might get whiplash. "I'm going to throw this star as far as I can, and the first one to find it and return it to me is the one that gets to spend the rest of the day with me. Any questions?"

Much to Amy's dismay, Jet again raised his hand.

"Jet?"

"Instead of that, can we have a race?"

"No."

"A fight to the death?"

"NO."

"...Can we officially title the match 'The Battle of the Rose'?" The hawk's eyes were pleading with her.

"What. the. heck. Jet."

"Then I'll be able to call myself a member of the Rose Regiment! Or I can be a Rose Rogue!"

". . ."

"It makes me feel important."

"I am _**not**_ giving you permission to title this the 'Battle of' anything."

" 'The Battle of the Rose' it is, then!"

Amy groaned. _Why do these two make it so difficult to stay happy?_ Granted, Espio hadn't said anything... But his silence was almost annoying, too. "Ugh... Well, if that's it with the questions..."

As soon as those words left Amy's mouth, Jet's hand shot into the air **again**.

The pink hedgehog **again **looked at him, gritting her teeth as she spoke, "What. is. it. Jet."

"Well, I'd just like to say..."

"If you're about to say something stupid, I swear I'm going to smack you so hard..."

"Well..... Never mind, then."

Espio rolled his eyes, then, noticing Amy's frustration with the bird, he stated dryly, "For the benefit of all of us, do try and refrain from opening your huge beak again."

Jet spun on his heel to face the chameleon, sending a glare meant to stab like a flurry of daggers. "Shut up! I can talk if I want to!"

"Yet if would be best for everyone, yourself included, if you would stay silent."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Hm. You sound like a fool."

Jet rushed at Espio, trying to get his hands around the lizard's neck in an attempt to strangle him.

Amy stared at the two, considering rushing in and stopping the fight, but then another idea came to her. She looked at the shuriken in her hand, making a mental photograph of its exact appearance. Then she glanced up, toward Angel Island. _Time to use their temporary distraction as a way to escape... _ She took a moment to think, trying to make sure that there was absolutely no opening in her plan for neither hawk nor chameleon to succeed. _Jet will never find it... He's just a dolt. He hardly ever does any work for himself, so he doesn't have the experience of actually working to find something... Espio... He could probably actually locate it... But he owns so many of the blades that I could always accuse him of cheating... _Somewhat eased, she looked at the two again. Both were too busy arguing to notice. So, quietly, she said a prayer for the silver star, and, with as much force as she could muster, she threw it toward the city, whispering, "Please let the right one find this..." Once the ninja star had disappeared from view, she was brought back to the conflict at hand.

"Hey! No disappearing! That's cheating!" Jet was making random punches to thin air with rapid speed. Espio had, apparently, turned invisible and was attacking the hawk whenever he got the chance.

Amy sighed, wielding her hammer. "Hey, you two! Stop fighting!"

Jet's rapid punches ceased, and he turned towards her immediately. Espio automatically faded into view just next to him.

The pink hedgehog stared at the two, and she yelled, annoyed, "In case _**you two**_ haven't noticed, I threw the star!"

Jet's head snapped around, as his eyes searched the ground. He seemed to actually think the star was going to be nearby. Amy narrowed her eyes, insulted by his apparent opinion of her arm's strength. He didn't seem to notice, though, and within a few moments, he decided that more searching was required. The hawk pulled out his Extreme Gear, shouting, " 'The Battle of the Rose' has begun!" And he sped off -- in the completely wrong direction.

Amy muttered, "I swear, if he says that one more time..." Then she noticed Espio, who was standing completely still, his eyes locked onto hers. She shuffled her feet, uncomfortable under his heavy gaze, and she avoided meeting his yellow eyes, her own stare shifting absent-mindedly to the direction she'd thrown the shuriken in. And it was when her eyes settled on the direction she'd thrown the blade in that Espio moved. He began running in precisely the exact direction she was facing.

Amy blinked, watching him slowly disappear from view. _...Did he just... trick me? _Her thoughts were almost in a panic, but then she remembered her plan. She took a deep, calming breath. Then she turned and ran in the direction of Tails' Workshop.

* * *

The hedgehog's spikes swayed, drifting around him from the sudden stop he'd made. Why had he stopped, anyhow? Even he was unsure of that.

His jewel-toned eyes scanned the faces of the people around him. A few of the people stared at him, some pointed in his direction almost as if he was some extraordinary spectacle to be seen in the city's streets... He couldn't blame them, really; he never was one to just go out for a run through town. He typically preferred more open areas with less crowds... And it was extremely odd for him to just completely stop moving in a place like this. Yet this was not his first time making such an unexpected stop today.

He thought about his stop earlier in the morning when he'd thought that he'd heard _her _voice. He'd stopped and looked for her... _I've seen that lizard somewhere before... _ He'd seen her next to a purple-scaled chameleon who had put his arm around her. He had been disturbed by the sight a bit.... Still, the hedgehog hadn't missed the expression of completely appalled mortification that she'd had written across her face. She obviously hadn't expected the chameleon's company. That settled the hedgehog's mind slightly....

But why was he stopping again?

He frowned as he looked around. He couldn't see a meter in front of his face without his vision being obscured with more people, so he began making his way out of the crowd. It wasn't difficult; everyone noticed him coming, and they all parted as he approached. He stepped with purpose, across the remainder of the sidewalk, then out into the road, not bothering to look for cars. Brakes screeched, resonating through the air, as cars staggered to a stop before they could hit the hedgehog. But no one shouted at him, and no car horns wailed for him to get out of the way. He walked casually across the street as if nothing were happening, then finally he reached the bright, paved sidewalk of the city park.

The park was much quieter than the rest of the city. Part of that reason was probably because the day's date happened to be February 14th. Which meant that the only occupants of the part were a few couples. And they were a bit too preoccupied to be making much noise.

The hedgehog's eyes carefully avoided everyone around him as he walked, deviating from the concrete sidewalk and moving toward a large, shady tree. It was when he stepped into the shade of the tree that his attention was suddenly caught by the whir of an object flying through the air. His ears became alert, and the noise increased in volume as the object drew closer. A flash of silver reflected a few feet in front of his face. Without thinking, he reached his hand out toward the silver-colored dot that was fast approaching.

_"Please let the right one find this..."_

He stared at the peculiar blade in his hand, breathless. No, it didn't surprise him that he had caught it. And he wasn't all that curious about where it came from. But... Had he just imagined...? He closed his eyes.

_"Please let the right one find this..."_ Her voice.

His eyelids slid open as he stared at the small weapon in his hand. Whatever it was, he knew it had something to do with her. And there was no doubt in his mind that he was going to find out its meaning. Even if that meant confronting her directly.

His spikes rose slightly, catching the wind, as he ran off in the direction of her apartment.

* * *

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou for letting me hide here, Knuckles!"

The red echidna nodded drowsily. He didn't actually remember telling Amy that she was allowed on Angel Island, but he wasn't ready to argue yet; he was just barely awake.

"You just don't understand how terrible today has been for me! It's like every guy I've seen today _**won't leave me alone!**_ I'm just glad you're still normal, Knuckles!"

Slowly, Knuckles turned to look at her, gaining a faint interest in what she was saying. His voice was deeper than usual, since he was still adjusting to the waking afternoon, but he managed to ask, "What do you mean?"

Amy frowned, waving her hands dramatically. "They're just acting all weird!" Knuckles raised an eyebrow, so Amy continued, "Jet's just, like, obsessively following me around like a lost puppy..."

"Jet? The bird?"

"Yeah, the green hawk with the voice that makes him sound like he's constantly got a cold."

"Right. Why?"

"Why's he following me? I don't know! If I did, things would be much simpler!"

"Maybe someone put him up to it."

"Like who? Wave? ..." She considered it for a moment then shook her head. "No, that doesn't explain Espio, though."

The Guardian of the Master Emerald looked slightly more interested. "Espio the Chameleon?"

"Yeah, the one I've only met a few times before, and he was always quiet and so centered around the Chaotix's agency... But today he's just -- UGH!"

"Ugh?"

"Oh, Knuckles, did I mention that Jet was waiting for me right outside the door of my apartment this morning?"

"...No, you didn't." The echidna looked at the ground, tilting his head. "Yeah, that sounds pretty bad."

"Oh, that? That's nothing. Because, you know what? _**Espio **_was leaning against the wall outside my _**bedroom door**_. Inside my apartment!"

". . ."

Amy growled, "They both followed me all morning! I went through the city looking for Sonic, and when I actually did see him, Jet started shouting, and Espio put his arm around me! Sonic got this jealous look, and, before I knew it, he'd disappeared into the crowd!"

"Jealous? Sonic? You sure it was him and not someone else?"

The pink hedgehog gave Knuckles a demeaning glare, making him feel more than a bit stupid, then she said, "Knuckles, how many other hedgehogs do we know that spend their time running through the city?"

". . ."

"Exactly. Anyway, after that, I was just so embarrassed that I ran off, and Jet followed me. I've literally spent the entire morning and afternoon trying to get away. Then Espio showed up again, and I sent them to go find a particular ninja star with the deal that the first to return to me with the star will be the one who can spend time with me for the day." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I ran to Tails' Workshop after that, he brought me here in the plane, and here's where I'm hiding from them."

Knuckles sighed, resting his head on his hand, staring thoughtfully out toward the forest just beyond the steps of the shrine of the Master Emerald.

Amy glanced at him then followed his gaze, looking at the forest. She watched the trees for a moment before switching her gaze back to the Guardian. His dark violet eyes seemed almost dazed. The pink hedgehog tilted her head, not used to seeing the echidna think so much. She wondered aloud, "Are you always so thoughtful when you're up here on this island?"

He didn't respond, almost seeming unaware of her presence.

Usually, Amy hated to be ignored, but something in Knuckles' expression softened her. She smiled widely, giggling as she asked, "Do you think about her a lot, Knuckles?"

At the mention of his name, Knuckles' eyes turned to Amy. "Who?"

"You know, we all know you like her."

He frowned, crossing his arms. "No, I don't!"

"Really? 'Cuz you sure are getting pretty defensive. Plus, I never said who I was talking about."

The echidna snarled, turning his head away from the pink hedgehog he'd now decided to classify as an annoyance. "Get offa my island."

Amy looked at him for a moment, then, much to the surprise of both the echidna and herself, she burst into a fit of giggles. Knuckles eyed her, completely and utterly confused, but the expression on his face only made her laugh more. She remained in such a state of merriment for what seemed to be a long time to the bewildered echidna, but, finally, she did stop -- then did something that baffled him even more: she hugged him.

Knuckles stiffened, unnerved by the sudden movement of the girl. He was more than slightly uncomfortable, for several reasons.... One being that he couldn't remember ever being hugged by Amy before -- or many girls at all, for that matter. Another reason being that Amy actually usually didn't hug many people; he'd only ever seen her hug Sonic before. But the reason that her hugging him disturbed him most was because he could actually breathe; he wasn't being held in a death-grip or anything. It was just a normal, gentle hug.

Knuckles' mind locked up, and he was quickly going into mental shutdown when Amy's green eyes opened, looking up at him curiously. Her voice was noticeably less of an annoyance to him than it had been moments before. "Knuckles, you okay?"

He sounded almost timid, almost as if he were distant when he responded, "Y-yeah, fine..."

"You sure? Your face is as red as your fur." She pulled away from him a bit, keeping her hands on his shoulders. And in his troubled state, he didn't notice the look that she she shot into the forest, nor did he notice the glare exchanged between a figure hidden in the growth of the trees and the pink hedgehog in front of him. He didn't notice Amy look away, and he didn't notice the evil glint in her eye when she returned her gaze to him, putting on a sweet smile. "And, Knuckles, you know I was kidding about what I said earlier, right?"

He stared at her blankly, not completely sure what she was talking about. "Uh...."

"I was just kidding with you. I know you _can't stand _Rouge." Amy said the last part with an almost drastic increase in volume. Knuckles probably should have noticed, too -- but his senses were all messed up for the moment.

"Oh..." One syllable responses seemed to be all that he could muster.

Amy glanced again to the forest through the corner of her eye, and a sinister smile crossed her face when she saw a white bat standing there, just barely under the shade of the trees but clearly in view of the shrine. The bat's dark aqua eyes were sending the pink hedgehog a look that was obviously meant to be a warning of some sort -- Amy personally took the glare as a death threat, but she didn't pay it much heed. "Thank you _so_ much for letting me hide here, Knuckles..." And she put her arms around his neck, hugging him again.

A voice belonging to neither Knuckles nor Amy spoke up then, and they both looked up to see Rouge. "Oh, am I interrupting something?"

Knuckles blinked, almost in disbelief, his senses too shot to say much of anything. "...R-rouge?"

Amy withdrew from her hold on Knuckles, backing away from him only slightly. Her voice was layered with sweetness, pretending as though she hadn't seen Rouge hiding in the trees the whole time. "Oh, Rouge, what a _**lovely**_ surprise to see _you_ here!" On the word "lovely", Amy had flashed a smile at Knuckles. Rouge clenched her fists.

" 'Lovely' isn't exactly the word I had in mind, hon." The bat glared at the pink hedgehog.

Amy blinked, feigning innocence. "Oh, really? Because it's _exactly_ what I had in mind. _**Love-ly.**_" Her eyes again traveled to Knuckles.

And that was all it took to make Rouge snap. "Get away from him!"

Amy stood up slowly. "Why, Rouge, what's wrong?"

"You know exactly 'what's wrong', Pinky, so don't even start with me."

"What do you mean, Rouge? You don't like me talking to Knuckles?" Amy smiled inwardly, knowing that her triumph was near. _Even if my Valentine's Day sucks, if I can get these two together, I can at least go to sleep happy tonight. _

Rouge's eyes suddenly caught sight of the echidna, who was sitting by the emerald, staring at the two girls as if he hadn't a clue in the universe as to what was going on. She stared at him, caught in the middle of her thoughts. She needed to make a decision. She'd tried so hard never to actually tell him how she felt, but no matter how many clues she gave him, he'd never seemed to have figured it out on his own... Her eyes turned back to Amy. And her mind was made up. _I'm definitely not losing him to some pink furball. _

At Rouge's silence, Amy continued tauntingly, "Or is there something else, Rouge? Maybe you're _jealous_ when I talk to Knuckles?"

"First of all, you weren't just 'talking' to him. Second, _**I**_ am the only one allowed to flirt with Knuckles, and if you try one more time, I can promise that I will hurt you. Third, go find Sonic or someone else: Knuckles is mine."

Amy stood there for a moment, allowing a few seconds, then she looked at Knuckles and grinned. He seemed to have regained some of the senses he'd lost when he'd been hugged because he was staring at Rouge with wide eyes and an almost shocked expression. He then stood quietly, and Rouge crossed her arms, turning to look at him. Her voice was as bored as she could possibly make it, and she asked him simply, "What?"

Amy took the time to descend a few steps of the shrine and sit down, out of the view of both bat and echidna, still paying close attention to them; she was a helpless romantic and couldn't help but love to see moments like this -- she just thought that it might be more comfortable for her friends if they thought she wasn't there.

Knuckles's voice was very quiet. "What exactly did you mean by that?"

Rouge sighed. "Can you really not figure it out, still?"

"Figure what out?"

"I like you, Knucklehead."

He opened his mouth ready to shout at her for the nickname, but then the meaning of her words clicked. "....What?"

"I like you."

"You.... like.... me?"

"Yes," the bat repeated for the third time, "I like you."

"...Uh, I, uh, like you, too, Batgirl."

"Then don't call me 'Batgirl'."

"Don't call me 'Knucklehead', Rouge."

She smiled. "Okay, Knuckie." He looked like he was about to protest, so Rouge stopped him, "Hey, you didn't specify; clearly, I'm in terms of our agreement, Knuckie."

"Well, could you at least stop saying that after every sentence?"

"What do you mean, Knuckie?" She laughed at his expression then just smiled, stepping forward and draping her arms over his shoulders, pulling herself closer to him. She nuzzled his cheek affectionately, and he blushed, slowly putting his arms around her. Her hands reached up, fingers entwining with his hair, and her eyes locked with his.

His voice was low and still slightly unsure. "Wait, you're not here for the Master Emerald, are you?" He almost seemed afraid to ask, having just remembered moments earlier that she was, in fact, a jewel thief...

"Knuckles." The fear was suddenly knocked out of him by Rouge's hand making harsh contact with the side of his face. He inhaled sharply from the painful sting of her hand, and he tried to withdraw his arms from around her waist. She stopped him, catching his left arm with her one hand that was not clinging to his dreadlocks. "Knuckles. Look at me." He did as he was told, forcing his eyes to meet hers again.

His voice could barely be considered a whisper. "...Sorry... I just-"

He was cut off by the sudden force her lips against his.

Amy watched from where she was on the steps of the shrine. She was a bit shocked when they kissed, especially considering they had barely talked for two minutes and were already getting all lovey-dovey. She sighed. _Well, considering they have been denying that they like each other for, well, years, now... Guess they have to make up for lost time... _The thought made her a bit envious, really. She'd been quite open with her feelings for Sonic all along, and yet...

Knuckles and Rouge finally broke apart, and Amy almost stood up to tell them goodbye -- but after only about two seconds of breathing, they resumed, much to the pink hedgehog's distaste. _Okay, seriously? There's NO WAY you two caught your breath that quickly. _If she was being completely honest, she would have to admit that the thing that bothered her really wasn't their affection; it was just the fact that today was _**supposed**_ to be _**her**_ day! She was glad that Knuckles finally could see that Rouge liked him, and she was glad that they were happy. ...But why couldn't she be happy?

Amy gradually stood up, dragging herself down the stairs of the shrine. The sky above her was a vivid blend of purple, pink, yellow, and orange... It was pretty. She stepped off of the marble stone steps onto the ground, and she turned, ready to walk off, when instead she saw something moving from the corner of her eye. She spun around instinctively, only to find herself face-to-face with another hedgehog. She stared at him in disbelief, and his jewel-toned eyes glimmered despite the fading light.

He watched her carefully, and his voice was almost soothing. "How were you planning to get off of the island?"

And, oddly enough, she found herself at a loss for words.

His head turned slightly, making an observation in an attempt to start some form of conversation. "The hue of the sunset matches the pink of your fur."

She just kept staring at him.

Hardly anything made the Ultimate Lifeform uncomfortable, especially the girl he was speaking to, so he just continued to speak, hoping that she'd find words to respond soon. "It's a beautiful color."

"Sh-sh-shadow? What are you doing here?"

The black hedgehog took a calming breath, then he took out a small, very familiar, star-shaped blade. "I found this."

Amy looked at the blade, astonished, then at Shadow. The started to reach for it, but then took her hand back. "Wait, Shadow, are you feeling alright?"

He looked slightly amused, though he didn't smile. "There was some sort of antidote outside your apartment door. They shouldn't be bothering you anymore."

She giggled, reaching again for the star, and he gave it to her. "Thanks, Shadow..."

He didn't reply. Instead, he repeated his earlier question, "How were you planning to get off of the island?"

"I'm not really sure, actually... Guess I'd call Tails and ask him to come pick me up."

"Hmph. I have a much faster form of transportation."

"Well, of course you do, sir Ultimate Lifeform."

He frowned. "That was meant to be an offer."

"Oh, okay, you want to take me back to the city?"

"Is that where you want to go?"

She paused, thinking for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." Under her breath, she added, "Guess I'm not going to be spending any time with Sonic today, then..."

Shadow watched her, wondering what she was thinking, but he didn't ask, stepping a bit closer and just barely putting his hand on her arm. "Chaos Control!" A burst of green light enveloped them. And when it released them, they were standing along the outskirts of the city. Shadow removed his hand from her arm, and he began walking. Instinctively, she followed him.

"Shadow?"

"Hm."

"What are you thinking about?"

"I noticed Rouge and that echidna finally admitted their feelings for one another."

"Oh... Does that bother you?"

"Why would it?"

"I dunno, when I first saw you, I kinda thought..."

"She's the closest thing to a friend I have, and I told her to tell him how she felt ages ago. Of course, she profusely denied any feelings at the time."

Amy laughed. "She and Knuckles really are a lot alike, aren't they?"

"I don't know the echidna well. Though from how often I hear her ranting about him, yes, it would seem so."

"...It must be awesome to have a best friend like that..."

Shadow watched her from the corner of his eye. "Hm."

"Someone that you can tell anything to... My best friend's Cream, but she's so young, and most anything I tell her will get heard by everyone in the gang..."

The black hedgehog stopped, turning to face her. "Hm. Maybe you should speak with someone who can understand."

She blinked, surprised by his words. She hadn't actually ever talked to Shadow much before, she realized. He was much different than she'd thought... "Shadow...?"

A tenor voice broke through Amy's thoughts, and Shadow frowned the moment he heard it. "Whoa, Shads?! And... Amy?! Hey, what're you two doing here?"

"Sonniku!!!" Amy attack-hugged the blue hedgehog.

"Wha, Amy, take it easy! I can't breathe!" Sonic squirmed, trying his best to get her off of him.

She shouted happily, "Happy Valentine's Day, Sonniku!!"

"Uh, it's, like, night, now, Amy, but okay." He'd finally managed to break loose of her hold.

"And as for what you saw this morning, Sonikku, they were just following me around! I had nothing to do with them! Espio was the one who put his arm around me! I promise I wasn't on a date or anything!" Much to Sonic's dismay, she again attacked him in an embrace.

He groaned. "Whoa, Amy, calm down, it's okay!"

"You forgive me, then, Sonniku?"

"I don't even know what you're talking about, so, yeah, I guess."

"What do you mean? This morning, when I was looking for you in the city, I saw a hedgehog, and..."

"I went for a run out in the forest this morning, Ames."

"...Then..." Amy looked up just in time to see a brilliant flash of green light in the distance. She watched as the light grew brighter, then disappeared. Sonic stood there quietly, looking at her in a slightly concerned way.

"Ames?"

"...Sonic, will you walk me home?"

"Sure."

* * *

Amy shut her door as Sonic disappeared down the hallway. She took a deep breath. _Today has been the most confusing day ever..._ She walked over to the kitchen, flipping the light switch on, and three odd pieces of paper stuck to her refrigerator caught her attention. She peeled the first note, a bright yellow one with elegant, typed font, off, and held it up to read it:

_"My sincerest apologies,_

_ Truly, I had no idea what I was doing, and I do hope that you will not hold any of the actions I may have done during such a state of disillusionment against me. Not to say I was disillusioned as to your attractiveness because you are most certainly attractive, but I mean to say that I did not mean to, in any way, insult you or make you uncomfortable. My actions and words earlier were simply due to my having accidentally consumed some sort of draught concocted by one of the Babylon Rogues, and I have been given the antidote, and I have returned to myself, now._

_ Forgive me,_

_ Espio the Chameleon"_

Amy shook her head at the note. It sounded like something Espio, the _**real**_ Espio, -- not the one she'd seen today-- would write. She placed the note on the counter then removed the second one, just a plain white piece of paper with neat handwriting in black pen:

_"Open the refrigerator."_

She raised an eyebrow. _That's it?_ Still, she placed the note on the counter, next to Espio's and, cautiously, she opened the refrigerator door. She gasped, taking a step back. Inside her refrigerator was a beautiful bouquet of at least a hundred dark, brilliant red roses. Amy quickly went back to the counter, picking the white piece of paper back up. There was nothing but those three words on the front. She flipped it over.

_"Happy Valentine's Day."_

She read the words, then flipped it over again. But, no matter how many times she flipped the white piece of paper, no name appeared. After a few moments of scrutinizing the handwriting, and wondering who on Mobius would have sent her so many roses, she just put the note back on the counter, on top of Espio's, and she sighed, taking one of the roses out of the bouquet and closing the door. Her eyes slid shut as she inhaled the rose's scent, and she turned away, before remembering the third note. Quickly, hoping that it could be the answer to who sent her the flowers, she took the last note off of the door. The paper was plain and white, but the handwriting was a messy scrawl in green ink:

_"Don't worry, my love. I have not given up on The Battle of the Rose! And the battle shall continue tomorrow! --- Jet"_

Amy's eye twitched beyond her control.

* * *

Ha.... Well.... XD Yes, the story was meant to be random. Hahaha, feel free to review. I just had to take a break from all sorts of serious writing for a bit to write something random and just slightly comical. (Yes, just slightly. I very rarely actually write much humor. XD Hahaha, but, anyway.... ) Again: Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!


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